KRAGTHORPE AND CYPHERS WIN AWARDS

Deseret News sports writer Kurt Kragthorpe has been named Utah sports writer of the year. KSL-TV's Steve Cyphers has been named Utah sportscaster of the year.

The awards were announced by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Winners are determined by votes of their peers.Deseret News Sports Editor Lee Benson and Deseret News sports writer Brad Rock were runners-up in the writing category. Benson had won the honor 12 straight years, sharing it in 1985. Chris Tunis of KSL-Radio was runner-up in the broadcasting cate-gory.

The national winners were sportscaster Bob Costas of NBC and Frank Deford of Sports Illustrated.

Kragthorpe, a Utah State and Provo High graduate, joined the Deseret News in 1982 as the prep sports writer. He is now in his fourth year covering the Utah Jazz. Last year Krag-thorpe won first place in game story coverage in the prestigious Professional Basketball Writers Association-Dan Blumenthal Memorial Writing Con-test.

Cyphers joined KSL in November of 1985 after working in Syracuse, N.Y., from 1983 to 1985. The Colorado State University graduate is the station's sports anchor on the 6 p.m. Monday through Friday newscasts. He also does color and play by play for various telecasts with the Video West Net-work.